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5 Things I Learned in My First Year of Self-Publishing

five stones stacked

My post on the five things I learned about self-publishing in 2012 is the first of a dozen posts by various indie authors sharing their insights on their publishing journey during the very erratic and exciting publishing arena of 2012. I hope you will read these each week and glean some great advice on how to forge ahead on your own publishing journey.

After a lengthy look at strategic planning in December, I felt it would be a good time for personal reflection on my foray into self-publishing. After seeing my first few novels come out in print, published by traditional publishers, over the past three years, I decided to venture into the waters of self-publishing. When I launched my blog January 1, 2012, my aim was to explore self-publishing and glean insights from both professionals and authors involved in this brave new world. Continue Reading…

Start the New Year Writing for Life

gold pen and paper

It’s a new year, and perhaps you’ve made some writing resolutions for 2013. Maybe you read through last month’s posts on strategic planning and you’ve set some practical goals for your writing career. If you are a writer who needs to write, wants to reach an audience with the stories you yearn to tell, and don’t see writing as just a passing hobby, then you might want to redefine yourself—if you have not thought of yourself yet as a “true” author.

“Clothes” Make the Writer

You don’t have to wait until you’ve been published or have sold thousands of copies of your books to think of yourself as an author. The sooner you see yourself as one and wear that hat, the better you will feel about your writing life. They say “clothes make the man.” In a sense, if you clothe yourself as a writer, you will not only “look” the part, those “clothes” will help adjust your mind-set and help you think like a professional writer. I’m not talking about real clothing, although maybe there is some form of dress that screams “writer.” But we put on a mind-set or attitude that bespeaks professionalism and dedication to our craft. Continue Reading…

Finding Your Tactical Plan

chipmunk

On this last day of 2012, I’m wrapping up the month-long look at strategic planning for writers. With thanks to author and writing instructor Randy Ingermanson, I’ve been going over the four basic elements writers need to consider to put together a real plan that is practical, efficient, and useful. These four elements are vision, strategy, tactics, and action. I’ve covered the first two a bit, and discussed how to come up with milestones to place along your journey to reach your vision.

Now we’re going to look at tactics and action. My hope is that by going over these posts and writing out your strategy, you’ll get a clear vision for what you’d like your writing career to look like by the end of next year, as well as what you’d like to accomplish. By breaking down your dream into bite-sized pieces, you can really manage it! Continue Reading…

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